Notice on the Opening of the Special Exhibition “Aves Japonicae – Birds in Japan”

2014-07-31

In August, the JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE (IMT) is opening the special exhibition “Aves Japonicae – Birds in Japan”.

Human beings have long been watching nature, including birds. How did the ancient Japanese see birds?
In Japan, natural science in its contemporary meaning was introduced from the West and quickly spread after the Meiji era. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the Japanese did not watch and study birds before the importation of European science. The present exhibition showcases a copy of Baien-kinpu drawn by Motohisa Mouri in the late Edo era. This is a part of Baien-gafu, the most authorized picture book of the era. We will also feature stuffed specimens on loan from the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology, in order to have the birds and the drawings side by side. In other words, this provides the same viewpoint as the painter who drew the birds.
The Japanese have found beauty in birds and have expressed it in numerous ways. One of them is the feather brushes used for tea ceremony (Cha no yu). Feather brushes were originally practical tools used to swipe dust, before serving as ceremonial and symbolical articles for purification. This small tool is made with minimal artificial treatment so as not to spoil its natural beauty, and the artist has not dyed or clipped the feather.
Please have a look at the different ways the Japanese have stared at the birds.